Coleus plant named &#39;SAKCOL022&#39;

ABSTRACT

A coleus plant particularly distinguished by small leaves having a pink and dark burgundy inner leaf color and green margins, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Solenostemon sp.

Variety denomination: ‘SAKCOL022’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of coleus, botanically known as Solenostemon sp., and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘SAKCOL022’.

‘SAKCOL022’ originated from the open pollination of 8 unpatented proprietary lines crossed pollinated in October 2014 in Kakegawa, Japan. The breeder put breeding materials ‘14P-202’, ‘14P-203’, ‘14P-205’, ‘14P-210’, ‘14P-211’, ‘14P-212’, ‘14F-19’, and ‘14F-20-2’ in a cage. Bees then crossed them at random. The breeder harvested 1,200 seeds from ‘14P-211’. These seeds were composed of hybrid seeds and self-pollinated seeds.

The seeds obtained from the ‘14P-211’ plant were sown and a single plant selection designated ‘L2015-CO372’ was selected for its multi-colored leaf pattern with a pink and dark burgundy inner leaf color and green margins with mounding plant habit with small leaves. The breeder confirmed that ‘L2015-CO372’ was fixed and stable. ‘L2015-CO372’ was subsequently named ‘SAKCOL022’.

The new plant was first asexually propagated from October 2015 to April 2016 in Japan and has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings for almost three years in Japan. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations by vegetative cuttings.

‘SAKCOL022’ has not been made publicly available or sold more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of the new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Salinas, Calif.

-   -   1. Small leaves; and     -   2. Pink and dark burgundy inner leaf color and green margins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the overall plant habit, foliage, and flowers of a plant aged 3 months old. The colors are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit and foliage.

FIG. 2 shows the overall plant habit and foliage in flower.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of a flowering stalk and foliage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘SAKCOL022’. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from plants grown three months from transplant into 4-inch pots from rooted cuttings in Salinas, Calif., under greenhouse conditions. Color references are to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition. Anatomic labels are from The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms, by M. Hickey and C. King, Cambridge University Press.

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.         -   Botanical name.—Solenostemon sp.         -   Common name.—Coleus.         -   Denomination.—‘SAKCOL022’. -   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Annual.         -   Habit.—Compact.         -   Form.—Compact and dense, 4 main branches.         -   Height.—33.0 cm.         -   Spread.—42.0 cm.         -   Propagation type.—Vegetative cuttings. -   Environmental conditions for plant growth: The terminal 1.0 to 1.5     inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative     cuttings were propagated for five to six weeks. The base of the     cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of Dip 'N     Grow (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior     to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic     cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat     moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from     overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were     formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20 cm     diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas,     Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Soluble     fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium     was applied once a day or every other day by overhead irrigation.     Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing     20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average     air temperature was 24 degrees C. -   Lateral branches:     -   -   Length.—10.0 cm to 18.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.7 cm to 1.0 cm.         -   Internode length.—1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.         -   Strength.—Branches separate easily.         -   Aspect.—Long, trailing to semi-trailing.         -   Shape in cross-section.—Circular.         -   Texture.—Dull, very slight pubescent.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A (White).         -   Stem/branch color.—Closest to RHS 145C (Yellow-Green).         -   Flowering branch.—Present, very slight pubescence. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Length.—6.8 cm.         -   Width.—3.5 cm.         -   Broadest part of the leaf blade.—Middle.         -   Shape.—Pinnatipartite.         -   Apex.—Caudate.         -   Base.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Sinuate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Dull, very slight pubescence.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Glabrous with pronounced venation.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Vein color, upper surface.—RHS N186A (Greyed-Purple).         -   Vein color, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 196A             (Greyed-Purple).         -   Petiole length.—3.4 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—2.0 mm.         -   Petiole color.—Closest to but lighter than RHS 1C             (Green-Yellow) with RHS 59A towards leaf base.         -   Petiole texture.—Very slight pubescent.         -   Variegation.—Present.         -   Leaf color.—Multicolored, hot pink at center with dark             maroon towards leaf margin, and green at margin. Upper             surface: RHS 59B (Red-Purple) with closest to but darker             than RHS 200A (Brown) increasing towards margin RHS 143A             (Green) at margin. Lower surface: RHS 138B (Green) with             blotches of RHS 61A (Red-Purple) increasing towards midpoint             with very slight RHS 159D (Orange-White) close to venation             and very small blotches of RHS 187A (Greyed-Purple)             throughout. -   Flowers: Terminal flower stalk observed having multiple buds and     forming a cone shape.     -   -   Stalk length.—9.5 cm.         -   Stalk diameter.—3.5 cm.         -   Stalk color.—Closest to RHS 144B (Yellow-Green).         -   Flower color.—RHS 93B (Violet-Blue) with RHS N155A (White)             at base. -   Temperature tolerance: 2 degrees C. to 35 degrees C. -   Disease or insect resistance: No disease or insect resistance     observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘SAKCOL022’ is a new and distinct cultivar of coleus owning to its unique multicolored leaf pattern and mounding plant habit and small leaves. It is distinguished from its parents as described in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Lines Leaf Plant Leaf color Leaf size Leaf shape margin habit Parental Lines ‘14P-202’ Brown Extremely small Orbicular Crenate Creeping ‘14P-203’ Rose and green Extremely small Orbicular Crenate Creeping ‘14P-205’ Brown Extremely small Orbicular Crenate Creeping ‘14P-210’ Rose and brown Small Ellipse Serrate Mounding ‘14P-211’ Rose and green Small Ellipse Serrate Mounding ‘14P-212 Rose, brown and Large Ovate Crenate Erect green ‘14F-19’ Dark brown and Medium Ovate Crenate Erect green ‘14F-20-2’ Rose, brown and Extremely large Orbicular Crenate Erect green Comparison ‘SAKCOL022’ RHS 95B (Red- Extremely small Pinnatipartite Sinuate Mounding Purple) with Length: 6.8 cm closest to but Width: 3.5 cm darker than RHS 200A (Brown) increasing toawrds margin, RHS 143A (Green)

‘SAKCOL022’ is most similar to the commercial variety PARTY TIME ‘Pink Berry’, also known as ‘SAKCOL018’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,823), however, there are differences as listed in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Comparison with Similar Variety Characteristic ‘SAKCOL022’ ‘PARTY TIME ‘Pink Berry’ Leaf color, RHS 59B (Red-Purple) with Closest to RHS 59C (Red- upper surface closest to but darker than RHS Purple) with blotches closest 200A (Brown) increasing to RHS 200A (Black) with towards margin RHS 143A slight RHS 147A (Green) (Green) at margin increasing towards margin, and RHS 143A (Yellow- Green) at leaf margin. Leaf color, RHS 138B (Green) with Closest to RHS147B lower surface blotches of RHS 61A (Red- Yellow-Green) with blotches Purple) increasing towards of RHS 59A (Red-Purple) midpoint with very slight RHS towards mid vein with most 159D (Oragne-White) close to mature foliage having a venation and very small blotch closest to RHS 27A botches of RHS 187A (Greyed- (Orange) at base Purple) throughout Plant growth Compact, Mounding Compact, Semi-creeping habit 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of coleus plant named ‘SAKCOL022’ as illustrated and described herein. 